Allard...I'm sure you are going to contribute! No doubt about it -you've already started!

I've had that "Really, I played it very well before playing it for you! " conversation with my teachers many times.... They hear it all the time
but it is so true! even in our "safe zone" we get the jitters.

I found it particularly comforting when my new teacher told me that when he was training to be a conductor and participating in master classes, even with all his experience, he felt nervous!

Toastie, if you have committed to buying a piano after just a few months, your passion is indeed strong and I have no doubt you are doing well. Otherwise you wouldn't have felt up to the investment.

I know I felt that I had to "prove" (at least to myself) I was going to make progress before I brought up the subject of getting an acoustic.
I still remember when we went to the shop in Feb ---(I got my digital in Dec)... and my husband tinkled a few keys on a baby grand. He looked at me and said...."If you stick with this for five years I'll buy you one of these". Bless him.

In fact, within the end of that year (after 10 months of playing the digital) I got my upright - a P112. A small upright but excellent for our apartment.

I am thrilled with it and trust you will be equally enchanted with your U3 when it arrives!

I have this EVERY lesson LOL. I must jinx myself because I tell my teacher I can play the piece, scale, chord whatever it is then proceed to either forget it or bodge it. I now tell him that I know it/can play it but will surely bodge it due to my nerves! It normally takes me a few goes to get in the swing of it.

Awww nice- you will be able to say proudly to people who come in this is my piano!





I bet you must be dying to have new piano in your house!!!




You see? You deserve this piano! You worked to raise the money for it, you work at your practise - you deserve it!

Loads of links there- will have a look later, thanks Bob.

Looks like there's lots of information there. I'm going to spend some time there. Thanks for the link!

I justified my piano purchase several years ago by thinking of how many years I would have to enjoy playing it. Compared to a new car, for instance, it cost much less, I'd have it for much longer, and I'd get more hours of use on it. Enjoy your new purchase!

My teacher gave a public piano performance a while ago (he doesn't do this often, since composition is his thing), and he told me that he was so nervous beforehand, he felt like he was going to throw up. I don't know if that is comforting to know or not.

I know my teacher has heard this way too many times. So whenever I really mess something up, just to be funny I say, "But I played it so much better at home!" It doesn't really work as an excuse, but maybe it's a little funnier, now that I'm having in-home lessons.

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I was at a fundraiser last night, and one of the auction items was three voice lessons. I won the bid, so now I'm looking at trying out something totally new for me, and something that I'm not at all comfortable with. But I'm still strangely excited.

Voice lessons? Sweet! Perhaps you'll be singing to your own accompaniment for the next recital, MaryBee?

Excited? Of course! Strangely? Why? Isn't life all about trying new things? You'll let us know what you learned of course?

Thank you for your very kind words. I am indeed completely obsessed with piano, I knew quite quickly that I wanted to buy one. I also immediately became quite interested in reading about them (that's how I ended up here, haha). Don't know what happened to me in the last few months, but piano is never far from my thoughts.

Its lovely that you have a P112, I sometimes practice on one of those and really like it. There's one in one of the music rooms at work. There's also a C3 in the theatre at work, so I play those every chance I get.... I also spend a lot of time hanging around in cupboards playing an old organ, a variety of strange keyboards, or a horrible ancient upright if that's all that's available, so the P112 and C3 are a real treat for me! I think eventually I'd like my own C3, as I am very fond of the one at work - i like to pretend its my piano

EdwardianPiano, I spent an hour in there playing it this morning! There were very few customers and the staff seemed to think it was quite funny that I had gone back there to see it. They were very nice about it, even when I warned them that I'm going to be really annoying as they will see a lot of me until it's delivered.

It just feels perfect - really comfortable and it has a very nice sound.

I have indeed worked very hard for it. Just wish my hard work would pay off in my piano lessons, as I went straight from the piano shop to my lesson yesterday and was a complete wreck, could barely play a thing. Am like that more and more lately, I think I expect to be able to do more than I can, so then I end up being even less competent because I make myself stressed when I inevitably mess up. Then I spend the whole lesson apologising. Argh. Need to get a grip - I'm sure I was saying the same thing a few weeks ago - expecting instant perfection is unrealistic. Well this week I have a lot to do, so I will work really hard at it, then expect to mess up in the lesson and just laugh at my mistakes.

Awwww sweet!






Just as we all said- you got the piano you were meant to have Toastie.





I know what you mean. Perhaps like me, you feel a bit embarrassed? I do as an adult beginner- my teacher is much younger than I been to music college. I sometimes think I must look like a silly old fart with my fumbly fingers!

That's why if I work summat out by ear I'll show him- I do stuff on my own that wasn't part of the lesson so as to know and show I am not completely daft LOL!

There was a 15 year old boy playing guitar in a shopping centre in town today. He is good and writes music too. I had a chat about music with him- at least I can talk a bit about music- couldn't do that a few weeks ago.


We must keep at it Toastie. I know you are getting better and I know where I am improving. Rome wasn't built in a day....

Toastie, learning to laugh off the mistakes is a good thing. Caring is important, but stressing is a bad thing. Tension leads to mistakes. One mistake can cascade into five, and then freezing up. I think almost all of us have been there. A relaxed state of focus is that sweet spot. A deep breath or two, centering, and perhaps even closing the eyes, can help getting to that place. I like to tell myself that mistakes are average, that there is no danger involved, that perfection is a dream (especially for beginners).

Week 35: My attention turns to two Christmas songs, God Rest Ye Gentleman and Silent Night. Progress is slow. I return to slowing way down as suggested by several on the forum, in an attempt to play from the notation accurately. Both are well known simple tunes. I skipped a day this week. On the other days averaged 20 minutes a day.

This would go perfectly in the "I Want To Give Up" thread...

Except we're the group that doesn't give up !

Toastie, I really think it comes down to slowing down.
I noticed that I really had to slow down to work with the mentronome (bless its little mechanisms..grrr).... and as irritating as that was, it really did help me get a grip on where my weak areas were (no...ARE) and let me go slowly enough to be accurate.

I don't know how many times I have read about "slow practice" in these forums - and in this thread... but finally I'm starting to get it and do it, with good results.

Don't let your frustrations build up - take breaks, breathe deeply, and take your time. Remember, this piano learning experience is a long journey, not a destination.

AOTD: I had forgotten the chords that I had used to transition through the sax solo portions because I never wrote them down. Today I worked them out again to my satisfaction -- and jotted them down as well this time.

I also thought up a couple different ways to end it, which I now have to chose from... I'd experimented with doing each successively, but it didn't quite work to resolve with a nice glissando and then go in another direction and resolve again. So the very end is still TBD, but it's good to have that anxiety over as I was worried that it would be a nightmare to figure out again since I have only just a smidge of "self-taught" music theory under my belt.

I promise I won't post every day, that would be too much domination of the thread and boring for all concerned, but I'm trying to get myself going with focusing on what I'm actually getting done on a concrete level to move forward.

Josh Wright recommends taking regular breaks -- I think he says no more than 20 minutes at the piano at a time. That might mean just taking a spin around the room and looking out the window for a minute, grabbing a drink, etc.

This is really good advice (which I regularly forget to take).

Having a short attention span--SQUIRREL!--makes taking regular breaks a cinch. Taking breaks--no problemo.

My AOTW is I've re-dedicated myself to practicing a limited number of measures for the new pieces I'm learning. I was getting into the habit of playing (slowly, slowly) all the way through the piece, which meant I wasn't getting sufficient repeats on the hard measures. This little bit of discipline has helped a lot in just the last few days.

Lots of achievement and a new piano. Looks like everyone seems to have a good week. I practiced today with a clear head. Incredible difference. I was able to read through and play through the entire fugue from the WTC book II f minor P&F and also Brahms Intetmesso 118 #2. Particularly I enjoyed playing Brahms when I'm not tired. Now that I have notes, I can start experimenting with expressions. I listened to 5 or 6 recording of the piece. Interestingly, I find Glenn Gould recording fascinating. What a great left hand! I did not like his Bach as much as others say I should. But IMHO his Brahms recording was nice. I like Angela Hewitt for Bach. Hope we all have a good week again.

Oh cool! I would love to have a single voice lesson, just for the fun of it. Since my son started with a new "rock-oriented" teacher, I of course have been following along... and singing "let it be" while playing the chords, late at night while no one is listening. If only I could fit the keyboard in the shower...

Have fun with it - and let us know what you think after you've had them, ie what you learned!

I was introduced to Brahms 118, #2 by kamibambiraptor on YouTube. Still my favorite version... he's not a concert pianist by any means, but he lingers on each note and we get to savor it just long enough to suck the marrow out and begin to pine for the next.

Gould, Rubinstein, and most of the rest sound like teenagers in the back of a car to me.

Citlalli Guevara's version is very good though, better technically, and roughly the same clock speed as kamibambiraptor.

Might we see this in a future recital? I'd love to hear your version, FWIW.

FarmGirl, did you just say you got a new piano??? Do tell!

It sounds like you're having a lot of fun after so much travel.

My AOTW... well, I'm struggling to decide what to submit to the recital... was planning on a Schumann-fest but now considering going with some Clementi, which of course means that neither is really polished. I recorded a good version of "happy farmer" from Schumann, could probably do the same on "Wild horseman" tomorrow, and have a medium recording of the Clementi movement (first take!), so trying to decide what to do, what to do...

Meanwhile, I've been working on 12-bar blues in the left hand, the C blues scale, "let it be", and assorted other non-classical stuff, all because we have a rock piano teacher coming to our house on Sundays to teach my son. Of course I sit in the room to soak it in as well.

Nice to have so many choices! Try them all, and see which you like best.
Ha ha! That's how I got started with my lessons. I was learning so much sitting in on my daughter's lessons, I felt compelled to finally get some lesson time for myself.

Your traveling must have really taken it out of you. Nice that you're able to concentrate again. That makes a big difference. I recently listened to a Glenn Gould recording of a Mozart sonata that I'm working on, and I hated it! The tempo was extremely slow, the articulation did not follow the score at all, and his humming along with the music was distracting. I haven't listened to enough of his other recordings to make a judgement, but that one did not please me.

That's quite a skill -- to be able to make your own arrangement of a piece, and especially nice to be able to suit yourself. I hope we can hear it in a future recital.

Getting ready for Christmas already? It looks like a couple people on the forum are starting to work on their carols. Both of these are pretty and should be fun to work on. And really, you can almost play Silent Night as slowly as you'd like, and it still will sound good.

Oh, because for most of my life I would dread change and try to avoid any situation that was different from what I was used to. I think I'm finally started to grow up and am able to actually enjoy those things now.

The lessons will be after January, so I'll let you guys know how they go. I'm wondering how much you can learn in three 45-minute lessons. Enough to make any kind of difference? I'm thinking that even just getting an awareness of what singing is supposed to involve would be worthwhile.

Bessel. No I don't have a new piano. I was referring to someone else's new piano ( sorry I cannot look it up since I would lose what I typed so far - on an iPhone now).

AtallGuyNH and MaryBee, I think I need to buy a CD for Brahms's recorfing. It's hard to find recording in my iPhone. I don't have my personal laptop any more . Santa told me that I can get an iPad for Christmas. I am trying to articulate with my left hand more. I would like to play the repeat differently with my left hand projected more. I would like to hear how others might have done it. Also after the repeat, there is an interesting section. It almost looks like Brahms inserted a chorus. So far I'm amazed how differently each person is playing the piece. TallGuy, I'm intending to play this in the Piano party iny house next January along with Bach P&F f minor from Book II. Not sure if we record the whole thing at the party. I will see what I can do between now and then.

MaryBee, good luck with your voice lessons. I took a voice lesson once but did not last more than that. I realized I also have to do scales and other technical exercises every day. I guess I developed phobia for scales and exercises.

AotW: Submitting to the ecital!

This week coming up ... my first taste of jury duty. Unfortunately it's at our local county courthouse, not a top class piano festival jury. Sigh, next time ...

FarmGirl, when I got to the point where I wanted to listen to a lot of different performances of a piece, I ended up going to Spotify. It's sometimes difficult to find good quality YouTube versions, and I couldn't afford to buy as many CDs as I would need to in order to sample all the different versions of a piece. If you wanted to use it on your iPhone, I think you couldn't use the free version, unfortunately. But I ended up going with the paid subscription anyway, because I didn't like the ads, and I wanted to be able to download the music to my iPod and take it with me.

Andy, have fun with jury duty. I did my first jury duty a few years ago, and it was a real learning experience for me.

I just nailed Good king w (alfred's one) at 112 bpm! YAHOOO!!!!

I'm starting to love my metronome.

Nice, BeccaBb

Singing that in my head that sounded like rocket speed; then I realized I was counting it in cut time and your sheet music is probably in 4/4!

MaryBee
I just signed up for it. This program is fantastic. Its amazing that I never heard of it. I so far likes Murray Prahia (spelling?). Thank u

MaryBee - very cool you are going to have some voice lessons. I bet you can get something worthwhile even from just a few lessons! Do let us know how they go!

TallGuy, I'm going to have to sit and listen to the piece several times to refresh my memory! I'm sitting here trying to remember how it starts! ack!

Bessel! You'd best make up your mind and start recording my dear!
(I find for the first time ever, I'm tempted to re-record and re-submit! I've had a lesson since I recorded and something just "clicked"... but I don't know if I have the time and energy to make a new version! Nonetheless, it is interesting that I'm even considering it!)

I looked up Spotify but it isn't available to folks here in Italy! grr.

Andy --- I've never done jury duty --- I hope it isn't too deadly boring for you!
Congrats on getting the recording submitted (I'm right behind you in the lineup!)

BeccaBb --- good for you!!!

I spent this evening going through my Christmas book and having a blast. My husband has been humming Christmas tunes since I stopped! Too funny!